1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a harvester and method of harvesting green tomatoes, and more particularly to such a harvester and method for use in a field of tomato-bearing vines automatically and continuously to sever the vines and reject the vines after detaching the tomatoes and to wash the detached tomatoes in a recirculating aqueous bath, reject undersized tomatoes, and discharge the processed tomatoes with their surfaces in a dry condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
In the commerical growing of tomatoes in large quantities, they are harvested by severing the vines from the earth with the tomatoes attached and then mechanically separating the tomatoes from the vines. Quantities of clods, loose earth, and other contaminants are picked up during the harvesting and must be removed from the tomatoes. Such harvesting and processing of tomatoes by manual methods in prohibitively expensive in large scale commerical production, and machinery has been adapted to use for this purpose when tomatoes are harvested in the ripe condition for use in canning products, such as catsup.
However, it has not heretofore been possible satisfactorily to mechanize the harvesting of "green" tomatoes which are ripened in transit after harvest and then eaten fresh. Methods and harvesters for the mechanization of ripe tomato harvesting are not satisfactory for green tomato harvesting because the green tomatoes are both easily damaged and more difficult to detach from the vines than ripe tomatoes and yet must reach the consumer in an undamaged condition.
It is highly desirable that a harvester and harvesting method for use with green tomatoes not only deliver the tomatoes in an undamaged condition, but also remove substantially all debris and contaminants from the tomatoes in the field to substantially accelerate the harvest, avoid damage to the tomatoes in transit by contact with undesirable substances, and avoid the expense of transporting useless material with the tomatoes.
It is difficult to provide such a method which is fully effective since the method must not only deliver the harvested tomatoes in a clean and undamaged condition, but must also be adapted for use in a harvester which is sufficiently mobile, compact, and rugged for operation in the field while harvesting with sufficient speed that the harvest of large, economically efficient, plots can be completed while the tomatoes are in peak condition.
Another difficulty in providing a suitable harvester and harvesting method for use in the field to harvest green tomatoes is that, while the tomatoes must be washed to fully cleanse them, it is impractical to provide a large quantity of water in the field. Even if a sufficient quantity could be provided, a mobile harvester cannot practically transport a quantity sufficient for complete washing of tomatoes if the wash water is discharged either with the tomatoes or the material washed therefrom.
It is also essential that green tomatoes, which have been processed by washing for ripening in transit, are nevertheless substantially dry and sterile so to substantially prevent decay during shipping and subsequent marketing.